How to Write a Business Letter

In the business  world it is not uncommon that you will have to write a formal business letter at one point in your career. There is however, a specific format when writing a business letter that should be followed if you want to look professional. Before writing your letter first choose a font that is readable and professional also your margins must be 1 inch. After you have completed this you can then begin to write your letter. 

Sender's Address
This is the first step in writing a business letter. This includes the senders information at the top of the page in this order: street address, city, postal code and the full written date. The sender's address should not include their name as it will be stated at the closing of the letter. All of this information should be single spaced, leaving an extra space for the date, and indented at least 4 inches to the left. An example would be:

                                    2301 Coventry Lane 
                                    Mississauga, ON 
                                    L7P3J3

                                    June 7, 2013

Recipient's Address
This is the second step in writing a business letter. For a professional letter the recipient's first and last name, their street address, city and postal code is required. This is very similar to writing the senders address, all information is single spaced as before however the recipient's address remains on the left side of the letter. This is done to balance the letter and the all together look. There is also no date included. An example of this would be:


Ted Mosby
4490 York Boulevard
Mississauga, ON
L7P 1M1 

Salutations
After you write the recipients address leave a space and you can enter your salutations. There are many different ways you can do this depending on your relationship with the recipient of the letter. If you are writing a formal letter to an individual you can use the more common greeting's such as: Dear Mr. Johnson, or Dear Craig Johnson. However if you know the recipient quite well you can use salutations such as: Hey, Hi, Hello, or just the recipients name, either first name or whole name. When you have finished your salutations you must also leave a comma at the end of the recipient's name and leave a space for your body paragraph(s) to follow.

Body
The body of your letter will include the main messages, points and information that you are trying to communicate in your letter. For every new subject of the letter there should be a new paragraph started. As the rest of the letter has been single spaced, the body paragraphs will also follow this format.

Closing
The format of the closing is very simple, and much like the senders address. Due to the fact that this is a business letter, many closing salutations will make use of "Sincerely" or "Thank you". You must always capitalize your closing and leave a comma at the end. Leave at least a few spaces for your signature and then type your name. The closing salutation should line up with the date of the senders address. If this letter is to be given in a hard copy,  sign where you left the spaces above your typed name. An example would be:

                                        Thank you,


                                         Craig Johnson  

A full sample of all these aspects should look like this: 

   

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/01/
http://s297.beta.photobucket.com/user/wingzman2005/media/letter-format.jpg.html

How to Ace an Interview

You've just been offered an interview for your dream job for a company you've been wanting to work for! However once the reality of this event has sunk in you're feeling stressed as the interview gets closer. Here are 5 good tips that will help you ace you that interview!

Do your Research
By informing yourself about the company you can know what they are about, their history in the business, their competitors, what their goals are, the company's current role in the market and so much more. In doing this you will come prepared to discuss the aspects of the company with confidence and demonstrate your' interested in the company, want to see its potential grow, and that you can help them reach their goals!

Practice Practice Practice!
This is one of the most important steps that often gets overlooked when preparing for an interview. Have a family member or friend ask you potential questions you think the interviewee might ask you  so you can feel comfortable and relaxed when you're in the actual interview. 

Be Early
Arriving at the interview 10-15 minutes early shows you are punctual and excited about this potential career opportunity. While waiting for the interviewee to get ready to interview you, take deep breaths and try to relax and think positive thoughts!

Know how to Respond to "What are your weaknesses?" 
Many interviewers use this question to challenge you. When answering these types of questions, try to think positively like "I need to work on..." or "I can improve upon..."

Thank you Letter
It is not mandatory to send a thank you card or letter to your interviewer but by mailing a professional thank you card it shows your appreciation for taking the time to be interviewed. Make sure you have a feel for the company to make a judgement if this gesture is appropriate. 

       



http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17ifl04egm0tujpg/xlarge.jpg http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201206/10-ways-ace-job-interview
http://www.chicagonow.com/cheaper-than-therapy/files/2012/03/nervous.jpg

How to Write a Resume

 A Resume is an essential document used to introduce yourself, your skills and in obtaining a job in your desired profession. Without a professional Resume it is very difficult for an individual to apply for a job and have any hope in getting it. However, before you begin writing your actual Resume, you need to consider also writing a cover letter, especially in a formal business setting.
When writing a cover letter there are few things  to remember:

1. Be brief
2. Demonstrate you meet or exceed the job requirements
3. Tell of your interest in the position and in the company
4. Provide some knowledge of the company

After writing your cover letter you can now move on to your Resume! There are many aspects you need to consider when writing a Resume because on average an employer will take about 1-2 minutes looking over your Resume until they move onto the next one. You want to make sure your Resume is the one that will stand out compared to all the rest. In order to do this you have to:

1. Set Clear Job Objectives - effectively communicate what job you are looking for and what skills and education you can provide.
2. Be Clear and Concise - any qualifications that are needed in the potential job are what you should include in your Resume.
3. Use Bullet Points - do not write lengthy paragraphs.
4. Never Include Dollar Amounts - in your Resume in reference to previous job experience.
5. Highlight Your Strengths - in relevance to the potential job
6. Be positive!
7. Outside Opinion - get a friend or family member to review your resume to provide an objective opinion.
8. Match the Needs of the Company -be sure to read the job description closely and include all of your skills and qualifications to match.

Luckily with today's resources there are a lot of different ways to make your cover letter and Resume writing less stressful. There are many templates on the web, and on Microsoft Word to help you. There are also many professional organizations that you can hire to help you write the perfect Resume however that will come with a cost.

http://www.how-to-write-a-resume.org/resume_writing_tips.htm
http://roicorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/bigstock-Magnifying-Glass-14465135.jpg

How to Make Business Presentations

If you've ever sat through a boring presentation you can understand how important it is to make a business presentation inpactful and memorable. In order to do this there are a few steps to take before presenting to make your presentation interesting and memorable. 

Step 1: Dig Deep - to get your audience interested, find information that will stimulate thoughts and conversation. 

Step 2: Avoid too much Information - Many business presentations are presented on PowerPoint. If this is the case limit the amount of bullet points and slides used in your presentation. Try to edit your presentation to minimize information you don't need  and that would be better stated than written down. 

Step 3: Props - This is not always necessary, however using a few simple props can help emphasis points in your presentation and be used as possible examples and add interest to your presentation.

Step 4: "Minimize You" - Although you are the one giving the presentation and everyone is looking at you, make sure to allow the audience to feel like they are included in the presentation as well. After all, the whole presentation is for them!

Step 5: Be Clear - To have an effective presentation, your audience shouldn't be walking away wondering what you were saying. Use words everyone can understand.

Step 6: Practice - Practicing your presentation before is key to having a successful presentation. You can pick up on points that you need to improve upon, things you may need to be changed. You may even think of ways to get the audiences participation.

Step 7: Eye contact: Having eye contact engages the audience. It's also crucial in demonstrating that you  have a good understanding of the topic and not just reading off of a script or PowerPoint.

Step 8: Transference - If you have to travel for your presentation and cannot bring your laptop, make sure your presentation (if on a USB) can be transferred properly and work on any computer.

All of these steps can be used in making a successful business presentation. Here is a short video reviewing some of the points I have made. I encourage you to use them in your next presentation!

http://sbinformation.about.com/od/sales/a/presentationtip.htm
http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/powerpointinbusiness/tp/bus_pres_tips.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag6xZDPn2YU